True Provençal aïoli is one of the most elemental sauces in existence: garlic pounded in a mortar with salt until it forms a smooth paste, then olive oil worked in drop by drop until the garlic's own moisture and cellular structure create an emulsion. No egg yolk. The technique is ancient and demanding — without lecithin from egg, the garlic's cell walls and their pectin content must do the emulsifying work, which requires patience, a heavy mortar, and a steady hand. The garlic must be the freshest available, ideally new-season, with no green germ (which adds bitterness). Peel and split each clove, remove the germ, then pound with coarse sea salt — the salt acts as an abrasive that breaks down the cells more completely. Once the paste is silk-smooth with no visible fibre, begin adding olive oil in drops so small they barely leave the bottle. After 30-40ml have been absorbed and the paste has taken on a thick, ointment-like consistency, the oil can flow in a thin trickle. The finished aïoli should be thick enough to hold a pestle upright and taste aggressively of garlic with the fruity richness of good olive oil. The modern restaurant version typically includes a yolk for emulsion insurance — this is legitimate but should be acknowledged as a departure from tradition. Aïoli is the centrepiece of le grand aïoli, the Provençal Friday feast of salt cod, boiled vegetables, chickpeas, and snails — a dish that defines a cuisine.
Traditional: no egg yolk — garlic pectin and cell structure emulsify the oil. Pound garlic to a silk-smooth paste before any oil addition. Remove green germ — it adds bitterness. Add oil in drops for the first 30-40ml until the emulsion catches. Fresh mortar and pestle is essential — a bowl and whisk will not achieve the same result.
If the eggless emulsion breaks, start over with a new garlic paste and treat the broken aïoli as the oil phase, working it in drop by drop. A tiny splash of cold water between the garlic paste and the first oil addition helps establish the initial emulsion. For the smoothest paste, pound the garlic with a little bread crumb soaked in milk (panade technique) — this is a traditional Provençal stabiliser. Use a marble mortar — it stays cool and provides the best grinding surface.
Using old garlic with a sprouted green germ — produces bitter, acrid aïoli. Adding oil too quickly before the emulsion establishes — the sauce separates irreversibly without egg yolk to rescue it. Using a blender for the garlic — it heats the paste and changes the flavour. Adding egg yolk and calling it 'traditional' — the Provençal original has no egg.
Larousse Gastronomique; Reboul, La Cuisinière Provençale; Escoffier, Le Guide Culinaire